Week Two

We left Dnepropetrovsk in the mid-morning, driving through the flat farm land of the Eastern oblasts towards Zaparozhia, one of the largest manufacturing cities in Ukraine. The fields of corn, wheat, and wilting sunflowers stretch far into the distance. The small highway cuts through the countryside, and for forty minutes all one sees are the fertile lands of the East. A lone bus stop by the the highway advertises in mosaic form the history of the region dating back to the Cossack period from the 16th-18th centuries. A man and woman in traditional dress are captured in this piece, holding in their hands agricultural tools demonstrating the proud historical attachment to the land, an attachment which now exists in the form of a nationalist Ukrainian sentiment (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4OOEVG27xI&feature=related).

Approaching Zaparozhia, the rapid waters of the Dneipr river become visible as does the largest dam constructed during the Former Soviet Union. This hydro-electric plant functions as one of three bridges leading into this industrial city. The giant smokestacks in the distance continuously release a thick black smoke into the air, making this city the most polluted in Ukraine. Imprinted on this colossal concrete structure is both the insignia of the U.S.S.R. and the bust of Lenin, a giant statue of whom stands by the promenade in the city center similar to Dnepropetrovsk. Driving over the dam, there is a spectacular view of the landscape which includes the Cossack fortification, or Sich (Ukrainian for the administrative and military center of the Zaparozhian Cossacks). Now a tourist destination, this historical landmark continues to be a crucial aspect of regional and national pride (Ukrainian independence was last experienced during periods of Cossack rule in the steppes). I hope to touch upon this theme in future posts as Cossack history and Ukrainian independence are inextricably related and discussed frequently in casual conversation.

I spent the majority of my time in Zaparozhia meeting with the director of the Jewish community center who spoke of her plans to create and expand projects related to inter-ethnic dialogue. She discussed at length the unique history of the region as a place of multi-ethnic settlement and cultural interaction. To this director, dialogue between “national communities” (it is apparently taboo to call minority ethnic groups ‘minority ethnic groups’) is essential in order to promote tolerance and acceptance in Ukraine. A group of representatives from several minority organizations including Bulgarian, German and Jewish, sat together to create a list of goals for the diverse community of Zaparozhia.

After meeting with a co-worker to discuss the future plans of my own program, “Do Good, Ukraine!” (check it out at www.dogood.org.ua), a project that promotes volunteerism in Ukraine through local leadership and volunteer action, we departed the central district of the city and drove along the back roads towards an orphanage for boys with special needs. Grasping the iron bars of the entrance gate stood boys of all ages in matching blue-checkered shirts awaiting visitors. Some more social than others approached us with open arms, welcoming us to the orphanage and offering to take us on a tour of the grounds (a large grassy area with a concrete square and an old jungle gym). Slowly, more and more children from ages 3-20 walked towards us, tapping our shoulders and introducing themselves. Young boys with down syndrome motioned to be picked up, while older children repeated the few words they knew of English, wondering why I spoke Russian but could not understand. After we played a game similar to the “hokey-pokey,” two young boys took me by the hand and led me towards the gate where our taxi was parked. In the distance, in the cleared grounds of the orphanage, boys of all ages danced in the shade of a tree to the Ukrainian folk music playing from a boombox.

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~ by mirmood on September 11, 2009.